It's What You Do To Me
by Jayneysuk
Summary: A case and and an accident finally bring Elliott to his senses. ElliottOlivia naturally. Bad summary I know but I'm not sure where this is going yet.
1. Chapter 1

-1I wrote this for a friend as she begged me to step out of my comfort zone and write SVU. Ater a long weekend in New York inspiration hit and I couldn't resist. Not entirely sure where it's going but hopefully someone other than Michelle will like it.

**TITLE: It's What You Do To Me**

**PAIRING: Elliott/Olivia**

**RATING: PG, maybe R later**

**SUMMARY: Is that a subtle don't go there**

**SPOILERS: We're a year behind in the UK so anything up to that is fair game.**

**DISCLAIMERS: Law and Order is strictly the genius of Dick Wolf so I can't take credit for the characters or the premise. The active imagination is all mine.**

**It's What You Do To Me**

**Chapter One**

The squad room was already a hive of activity when Olivia arrived. The cleaning crew were going through the motions of emptying the never ending supply of trash and attempting to dust around the pile of paperwork the team seemed to create each day. The team itself were nowhere in sight, the bubbling coffee pot the only sign that they had been there. Munch and Finn she knew were due in court, testifying on a rape homicide that had been continued more than once. Glancing at the board she noted that Elliott had signed in or as so often was the case hadn't signed out the night before.

"Olivia."

"Captain," she said with a smile.

"Central Park, just west of the zoo. A jogger found a body tucked behind the rocks. Signs of interference. You and Elliott need to get over there."

"Have you seen him?" she asked, her eyes scanning the room.

He indicated with his head the stairs and the small room they used as a make shift home.

"He slept here?"

Cragen nodded, his concern masked. "Yeah, that needs to stop happening.

Leaving the captain, Olivia climbed the stairs in search of her partner. Opening the door, it took a minute or two for her eyes to adjust to the darkness and then she caught sight of him curled up on one of the bunks. She knew things were bad and it didn't take someone with the IQ of a rocket scientist to work out he and Kathy were having problems again. Not that he would admit it to her, instead they would try and work around it until something pushed him over the edge and then she would pick up the pieces.

Olivia closed the door behind her and made her way across the room, crouching slightly by the side of the bed. Lightly, she shook his arm, "Elliott."

He stirred but rolled over, turning away from her.

She allowed herself a small smile as he snored, the intimacy of the moment not lost on her. She always told herself that she cared about him because they worked together and because they were friends. It wasn't lost on her that there was a fine line between friendship and sexual attraction and that when they were alone, and she had the opportunity to observe him, his guard down, the line became very blurred. The all too familiar butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she continued to watch him sleep. Self denial, and she denied the fact that she wanted to jump him, was the only way to maintain their working relationship even if it left her frustrated.

Elliott stretched out his arm to get comfortable and the department issue blanket slipped revealing a little more of his well defined back she only normally got to wonder about through his shirts.

The temperature suddenly rising by several degrees in the room and remembering the case, Olivia placed her hand on his shoulder and tried to rouse him.

He rolled over and finally opened his eyes. Smiling, he asked, "Liv?"

"You sleep here?"

Elliott rolled over, rubbing sleep from his eyes. He adjusted his position until he could sit up, the sheet slipping further to reveal the fact he was wearing nothing but his shorts.

A smile quirked at Olivia's lips as she rose to her feet and turned away. "I'll meet you downstairs." She began to walk away, the image of his body burned onto her brain.

"I just didn't feel like driving home," he called after her, not wanting her to give him strange looks all day .

"Ok." Olivia never pried into his personal life. If he wanted to talk he did, if not they had become extremely good at pretending.

"No big deal."

"I'll be downstairs," she repeated, not wanting him to see what they both knew. The fact was she knew he was lying, and he knew she knew he was lying.

Elliott watched her go, wondering why he couldn't be honest with his partner when quite often his life depending on it. Rubbing his hand across his face, he stood up and set about getting dressed. Lying to her was one thing but at some point he knew he would have to stop lying to himself.


	2. Chapter 2

**It****'****s What You Do To Me**

**Part Two**

Olivia climbed out of the car and pulled her long wool coat around her body. It was only fall but it felt like Winter, the temperature dropping almost overnight, the wind whipping against her legs, sending shivers through her body.

There were people everywhere, tourists taking pictures, new Yorkers shrugging off the police presence and enjoying the park, and officers from every police department in New York milling around.

Flashing her badge at the female officer on the police cordon, she ducked under the tape and followed the officer's directions.

"Do you know where we're going?" Elliott asked, trying to keep up with her, shivering as he realised his thin dark jacket wasn't going to keep him warm.

"Captain said behind the rocks by the zoo. And I'm guessing by the cars and the techs and the uniforms we're going the right way."

"A touch snippety today."

She turned momentarily and glared at him, before setting off again at pace.

"Ok." It was going to be one of those days he concluded as they made their way towards the scene. She had seemed happy when he'd awoken to find her gazing down at him but since they'd left the precinct practically everything he'd said had drawn forth a sarcastic response. He'd given up trying to figure out what he'd done wrong. "Stabler. Benson. Special Victims," he announced as they finally reached their destination.

"Warner's over there," another transit cop indicated the huge pile of rocks and they headed in that direction, climbing up and over the rocks and peering down.

"Hey," Olivia called, assessing the structure and edging her way down.

Melinda looked up and gave them a faint smile.

"What we got Doc?" Olivia asked, making her way carefully down towards the body, aware of Elliott's hand outstretched and ready to help. She ignored it, not wanting to seem weak or pathetic.

"Despite the conditions, she's been dead maybe four hours if that."

"Killed here or dumped?"

Melinda began to cover the victims hands in plastic bags, securing them with elastic bands. "Definitely dumped. The head wound occurred here but she was strangled somewhere else."

"Signs of interference?"

"Intercourse yes. I could speculate on it being non-consensual but. . ." she trailed off, used to talking in facts and not assuming the worst. "There are bruises on the upper thighs but no signs of trauma."

Elliott leaned down and cast his eyes over the body. "Any ID?"

Warner nodded. "Yeah, but not on the body. The techs searched her after my initial exam. They found a purse over on the footpath. Driving licence matched the victim."

A young tech handed Elliott a well worn leather purse and he opened it. "Address is Newark." He inwardly groaned knowing what was in his future.

Olivia smirked despite the circumstances. "Nice. A Road trip."

Melinda righted herself. "I'll post her when I get back."

"We'll see you later," Elliott said taking a step towards the rocks. "If Munch and Finn get done with court we'll get them sent over." The chances of them making to Newark and back much before lunch were slim.

Melinda's eyes lit up. "I'll page Munch and let him know."

Elliott blinked, his lips quirking up into a smile, his suspicions confirmed.

--------------------------------------------------------

Olivia climbed back into the car, handing him one of the Styrofoam cups of coffee.

"I've been doing the job forever and I still don't get why they always leave the bodies in the park."

"Huang would probably give you some psycho babble," she concluded, making herself comfortable and sipping the Starbucks. She thanked God for whoever had decided to put Starbucks on practically every other street corner downtown as the hot black liquid warmed her throat.

"I'm not knocking it, makes things easier for us, but if you're gonna commit a murder in Manhattan, dump the body in the Hudson." He adjusted the heating until he could feel a warm breeze on his face.

"Too labour intensive," Olivia commented dryly.

He took a sip of his drink. "So we're taking a ride out to the airport."

"Well technically the car won't be moving, but you can make fun of all the other drivers stuck in traffic."

Elliott handed her his cup and started the engine, pulling out into traffic and honking his horn at the cab in front. The cab driver gestured wildly causing Elliott to smile. "Got to love New York."

There was nothing like taking a drive through Manhattan in rush hour traffic except possibly trying to get out of the city in rush hour traffic. They had been sat behind a beat up mustang, which Olivia had been speculating belonged to a drug dealer, for the last half an hour, wondering if they would ever reach Newark. Elliot was half tempted to run the plates but the fact the driver could hardly try and evade arrest spoiled the fun. Instead he returned to people watching. The guy beside them kept looking across and smiling at Olivia. Much to Elliot's annoyance she had taken to smiling back. He wasn't sure if she was bored or just trying to annoy him. Conversation hadn't exactly been stimulating as they inched their way through traffic.

"You could just write your number on the window with lipstick," he said sarcastically.

Olivia turned and raised an eyebrow. "Why, have you got one in your purse to lend me?"

He rolled his eyes and returned his attention to the road, his thoughts returning to what lay ahead. If there was one part of the job that everyone hated that was informing the family that a loved one was dead. In truth he didn't feel he was any good at it. Of course he said the right things and made the right gestures, and his sympathy was real enough but he hadn't actually felt that depth of loss himself. Most times he left it to Olivia, watching her connect with the family, and seeing it erode a little part of her each time. Today he decided it would be his turn.

As it turned out, he needn't have worried. When they eventually arrived at the address an hour later there was no one home.

---------------------------------------------------

Being part of Special Victims was for the most part like being part of a family. They practically lived together, spending more hours in the confines of the squad room than they did with their families, celebrating successes and sharing the failures. When one of them got into trouble they all came to the rescue. It had even gotten to the point that they knew when it was the wrong time of the month for Olivia. It irked her mildly but the steady flow of chocolate that appeared in her desk drawer and the endless coffee from Munch was a welcome release. Oftentimes they needed space from each other, tensions high and little escape from the other's eccentricities.

Tonight they were all tired. Unable to locate the victim's family they had spent the day running a background check. The driving licence was fake, the identity stolen from a forty year old woman killed the previous year meaning that they had been forced to return to square one. It was going nowhere.

Munch leaned back in his chair, stretching out his arms, trying to work the knots from his shoulder blades. It was getting late but they were all still working, post it notes and files scattered across the desks. "The letters are getting blurred."

"That's what old age does to you" Finn grumbled, cracking his knuckles.

"I've read the same paragraph five times and I still have no idea what it says," Olivia interjected.

Munch stifled a yawn. "How about we call it a night and grab a drink?"

Olivia glanced at Elliott subtly trying to gauge if he was up for it, then back at Munch. "Sure."

"I have plans."

"Really?" Munch asked, surprised by the sudden onset of Finn's social life.

"Yeah, you know, a son who likes to see his dad occasionally."

"I have to go home, too," Elliott announced, his voice lacking enthusiasm. He'd promised Kathy and the kids, when he'd moved back in, that he would make it home every night and he was trying. The previous night he'd chosen to stay in the squad room not wanting another argument about money. Not returning Kathy's calls probably wasn't going to win him any points and he knew exactly the reaction he would get when he did get home but going home drunk after spending the evening with Olivia wasn't going to improve matters. Although he really did need a night out with friends occasionally.

Munch gave Olivia a sideways glance, wondering if he needed to be a gentleman and give her an out. It was pretty much an open secret how she felt, at least between him and his partner. Just one more thing that they shared and silently swore to protect.

She had hoped it would be a chance to get Elliott to open up, a chance for him to relax, and get a little drunk but then in recent weeks he had developed aloofness into an art form. "Ok, well it looks like it's me and you, John."

"He's waited a long time to hear a woman say that again," Finn teased, rising to his feet and slipping on his jacket. "Of course you're safe. His addled brain probably can't remember what to do next."

"It's not the brain that's the problem," Elliott laughed, following them out of the door.


End file.
